


not a date (until it is)

by isloremipsumafterall



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Five times + one, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-14
Updated: 2014-10-14
Packaged: 2018-02-21 04:26:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2454668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isloremipsumafterall/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>for the prompt: five times Mack and Fitz weren't on a "date" and the one time they were.</p>
            </blockquote>





	not a date (until it is)

**One.**

 

"Come on, it’s-it’s this way, I remember it being this way." Fitz was holding on to Mack’s arm as they stumbled through the Glasgow streets in what was left of the light of day.

"I don’t think this pub of yours is going anywhere, why the rush?" Mack hadn’t questioned it when Fitz had asked Coulson for some time off, hadn’t even questioned it when Fitz asked him to come with him back to his hometown for a few days, but the insistence from Fitz that they get to the pub early was a little confusing.

"So we don’t miss it."

He can tell he won’t be getting any more out of Fitz until they get to wherever he’s leading them; which is apparently now since Fitz has skittered to a halt, Mack bumping into him and causing them both to catch their balance.

The pub doesn’t look like anything special, but it must be to Fitz since he’s beaming at it and looking back at Mack like he wants him to share in Fitz’s enthusiasm. Mack grins back because at the very least even if he has no idea why this pub is special then at least it’s made Fitz happy and he can’t argue with that.

It didn’t look like it would be packed but the moment they walked through the door Mack could already feel the heat of the room getting to him from the amount of people already in the place.

Fitz scowled and looked around, pushing Mack over to the corner which was blissfully mostly devoid of people.

“So what is this for?” Mack had to lean down and brush against Fitz’s ear in order for the other man to hear him.

“Band night.” Fitz yelled back. “It’s very popular here. All the. All the-”

“New? Old? Best?” Mack tried to think of more words that could describe bands. “Is it a genre?”

“Best. Best bands play here.” Fitz tucked closer into Mack’s side as someone bumped into him.

“All right, cool.” Mack nodded, he was a little interested to see what constituted as the ‘best’ for Fitz. Prior to having met the genius he wouldn’t really have ended up in a place like this, Mack preferred a good old fashioned American bar. The pub was more like a cottage that someone had converted, cozy and warm.

Almost too warm, it had him considering shucking off his over shirt to have just his tank top on, he didn’t know how Fitz was managing with all they layers he had on.

He was about to lean down again to tease Fitz about it when Fitz tilted his head up to apparently tell him something and they bumped noses. Mack let out an amused whuff of air and Fitz returned it with an awkward smile.

“Sorry for the delay, I’ll take your drinks orders now.”

They jerked apart at the voice, a waitress standing in front of them. She smiled widely at them. “Well you could have at least finished the kiss, not ruin the moment.”

“We’re not. We weren’t. This isn’t.” Fitz tripped over the words.

“We’re not dating.” Mack finished, one of his hands rose to rest on Fitz’s shoulder and squeeze it in encouragement before letting it fall away.

“Right. Sorry about that. Drinks?”

They gave their orders and kept the awkward distance between them now. Despite his dislike of the heat in the pub Mack found he missed the warmth that was Fitz pressed up against him. As the night went on and Fitz ended up falling back against him he wisely kept quiet, only minutely shifting his arm to get them more comfortable.

* * *

**Two.**

 

“You wanna go a few rounds on the Xbox? I think I need to make my brain melt from the non 0-8-4 variety.” Skye stretched as she stepped out of the car.

Trip stepped out a second after her. “Sure, sounds good- wait hang on, it’s Tuesday isn’t it?”

“Yeah? So?” They both started walking down the hall.

“No can do then.”

“What, why not?” Skye dropped her bag on the kitchen table, ignoring Koenig’s glare from where he was seated at the table.

“Cause it’s Tuesday, Mack and Fitz always have the Xbox on Tuesday these days.”

“Wait what. How have I not seen this?” Skye stepped out of the kitchen and down the hall to the room where they had set up the Xbox.

When she walked in she could see Mack and Fitz on the couch, plastered against each other and partially sunk in to the couch cushions together.

Trip came up behind her, resting on the other side of the doorway. “See, told you. There’s no way to get either of them to move believe me.”

“They do this every Tuesday?” Skye swallowed down the hurt at how close to Mack Fitz seemed, she had missed her friend over the past few months, looking at him now laughing when he got a hit and scowling when Mack beat him it was almost like seeing the old Fitz again.

“Yup, long standing date from what I hear.”

“Date?” Skye’s ears pricked on the word. Before Trip could stop her Skye was throwing herself over the couch.

“Fitz, man, why didn’t you _tell_ me you and Mack were dating.”

Fitz was staring at Skye with something akin to panic. Mack reached over and paused the game on his controller, Skye didn’t fail to notice that rather than pull back completely Mack’s arm remained partway around Fitz, like giving him moral support.

“I don’t have to give you the shovel talk do you?” Skye asked Mack, pointing a finger at him. “Because if you hurt Fitz, Trip and I will bury you.”

Mack held up a hand, the one that wasn’t around Fitz, “I think we’re under some misconceptions here.”

“We’re not dating.” Fitz blurted out.

“Seriously?” Skye shot them an unbelieving look. “You’ve got a date with the Xbox every Tuesday.”

“This isn’t a date. Just me and Fitz taking it easy, that’s all.”

Fitz nodded along with Mack’s words.

Skye looked back to exchange a glance with Trip, who looked as sceptical as she did.

“Well, you two have fun then, on your ‘not-date’. Just remember what I said Mack.” As she walked out of the room she mouthed the words ‘bury you’.

“What was that all about?” Mack asked when Skye and Trip we’re gone from earshot.

“Beats me.” Fitz shrugged, he picked up the controller again. “Back to beating you.”

“Beating me?” Mack snorted. “Don’t think so turbo.”

They turned on the game and let their attention slide back to it, when they fell asleep on the couch together, stumbling in to the kitchen the next morning wearing the same clothes from last night, Skye gave a crow of victory and ducked the bagel pieces Fitz began throwing her way.

* * *

**Three.**

 

Mack carefully juggled the contents of the bags in his hand, trying not to spill anything.

“Can I help you there, Mack?” Lance came out of nowhere, sliding up and hands outstretched.

“Beat it Lance, these ain’t for you.”

“You’ve got enough Chinese food there to feed an army. Not planning on eating it all yourself are you?” Lance jogged alongside him as Mack continued to the lab.

“You haven’t seen Fitz when he eats, I don’t know where he packs it away but no one eats like he does.” Mack nodded in Lance’s direction when the other man opened a door for him.

“All of it’s for him?”

“Nope, some of it’s for me.”

“Is this one of your date nights that I keep hearing about from Skye and Trip?” Lance asked loudly enough that Fitz looked up when they walked in to the lab.

Mack put the food down on a mostly unused desk.

“Not a date.” He said absentmindedly. “Just a good day’s work and now we’re eating dinner.”

Lance left the lab shaking his head.

Fitz made his way over to the desk. “Dunno why they think it’s a date. We’d need. We’d need, um-”

“Candle lights? Mood music? Something a bit fancier than takeout? All the above?” Mack joked.

Fitz nodded grinning back at him. “Exactly.”

“You know I could always provide the music.” Mack commented, digging out the utensils and passing a pair to Fitz along with some containers.

“Still haven’t heard you sing.” Fitz dug into the container with a flourish.

“Thought we went through this turbo, I sing in the shower, not so much other places.”

“But you’d be willing to now?”

Fitz looked up at Mack who was looking at him with soft brown eyes and his lips quirked up with fondness.

Mack finally shrugged, breaking the connection after a minute. “Could be convinced.”

“Wait till I can tape it.”

“That’s not happening turbo.”

“Says you.” Fitz retorted, already trying to come up with a plan in which it could happen.

“Yeah says me. Did you get the chicken?” Mack peered into the containers next to him.

“No.” Fitz pulled the container in his hands closer.

“Hey come on, I bought the stuff.”

“For me.”

“For both of us. Sharing is caring turbo.” Mack reached over the table and dug the fork that he was using into the container in Fitz’s hands, coming out with some chicken. He popped it in his mouth and when he was finished chewing grinned in the face of Fitz’s glare.

“Now you’ve had some.”

“None of the pouting now. Here, I’ll let you have some noodles.” Mack shook the container in his hand at Fitz temptingly.

“Was going to anyway.”

The desk became a sudden war of the two of them stealing from each other’s containers while the other was distracted. Fitz pretended not to notice that he had more containers and Mack was letting him win more often than not.

* * *

**Four.**

 

“I got us some time off tonight, you ready for the movie?” Mack walked into the lab, stopping and crossing his arms when he saw Fitz bent over the lab table. “Yo turbo, come on. We’re on a break now.”

“I’ve just. Just got to.” Fitz broke off as he couldn’t get the parts to work together, letting out a frustrated growl and slamming his hand into the table.

“Knock it off.” Mack came up behind him and tugged Fitz’s hands off the table, giving them a quick once over to make sure Fitz hadn’t somehow done any damage. “We’ll take a look at this together later. For now…”

He started shoving Fitz to the door. “We’ve got plans.”

Mack didn’t miss the dirty glare Fitz through back at the lab table or the dark muttering that happened the whole drive to the theatre.

“Look if you want to skip the movie and go back we can. I just think we both could use a break.” Mack said as he parked, his hands hovered over the wheel, ready to turn back if Fitz wanted to.

Fitz looked over at Mack and stopped, taking in the patient look in Mack’s eyes but also the tiredness. “No no. Let’s go.”

He tugged Mack over to the concession stand after they bought their tickets.

“You planning on bankrupting me turbo?” Mack joked as Fitz ordered a bunch of food.

Fitz nodded. “Marrying you for your money.”

“For my money?” Mack took the popcorn from Fitz so he could juggle the rest of the snacks and drinks. “Not for my rugged good looks.”

“Who told you you had that?”

Mack pretended to look hurt, Fitz rolled his eyes.

“I’m hurt turbo. Thought you really loved me.”

“Did you want me to kiss it better?” Fitz knew he sounded sarcastic but the glint in Mack’s eyes looked like he was tempted to take up Fitz’s offer.

He hadn’t noticed they had stopped in the hallway with him leaning into Mack until people coughed awkwardly around them.

Fitz pulled away, face heating up.

When they took their seats Fitz didn’t miss that this would have been the kissing section that teenagers would have been taking advantage of, or that if it was a date then he would have been kissing Mack. He peeked over in Mack’s direction.

Too bad it wasn’t a date.

* * *

**Five.**

 

For a change it was Mack’s stomach that growled in the lab. He and Fitz had been working nonstop most of the night to build the electrical nullifying device for the team who had a run in with a stranger who could harness the electricity in their favour.

They should have been exhausted but both of them felt wide awake, still thrumming with adrenaline.

“Guess we should get dinner- or well, breakfast.” Mack amended, looking down at his watch which blinked back that it was 6:00. “Any preferences?”

Fitz was fiddling with the edges of his shirt as he thought.

“Pancakes.” He finally said.

“All right. Pancakes it is.” Mack clapped his back and started walking down to the kitchen, Fitz trailed behind him.

Together they pulled out the ingredients, double checking a recipe that Fitz pulled up on his tablet.

“That’s too much salt.” Fitz pulled Mack’s hand away from where it hovered with a spoonful of salt.

“That’s the amount it requires.”

“Not if you want to, um. Want to…”

“Taste?”

“Taste anything else in the pancake. You’re reading the measurements wrong.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.” Fitz reached up to grab the spoon but Mack pulled it away and over his head making Fitz curse their height differences. He still tried to reach for it, wrapping one arm around Mack’s neck for balance and leaning against him so there was no space between them.

“You know you can’t win this right?” Mack’s lips brushed his ears as Fitz stretched across him, Fitz could feel the puffs of air as he let out a quiet laugh.

“Says you.”

A cough had them freeze in the tableau, Skye, Trip and Lance standing across the counter from them.

“Is this a morning after thing?” Trip asked.

“No.” Fitz and Mack said at once.

At this point even they were having trouble believing themselves.

* * *

  **\+ One.**

 

“I’m going with him.” Fitz’s tone brokered no arguments as he stared Coulson down.

“You aren’t fit for field work still, Fitz I’m sorry, Mack’s doing this alone. End of discussion.” Coulson didn’t give it time to escalate, his face was apologetic as he walked out of the room though.

Fitz collapsed on the desk, shoulders slumping and burying his face into his crossed arms. A warm hand brushed over his neck and gave a brief squeeze.

“I’ll be back before you know it turbo, it’s going to be okay.” Mack’s voice was a low rumble above him. “You’re just gonna have to keep the lab warm for me.”

It took Mack three days longer to get back than expected, he was exhausted and red eyed but still managed to give Fitz a strained smile as he walked in. Fitz scrambled up when he saw Mack come in, rushing towards him but coming to a halt when he was inches away.

“You’re. You’re-”

“Back?”

Fitz shook his head, hand reaching out tentatively to touch Mack’s shoulder, sagging in relief when he touched skin and something solid. Mack read the gratefulness in his eyes and gave a slow nod.

“Yeah turbo, I’m back. I’m here.” Mack scrubbed a tired hand over his face, trying to hold back a yawn. Fitz caught it anyway.

“You should. Um. You should sleep.” Fitz didn’t look thrilled by the idea of Mack leaving the lab so soon.

“After a shower, I stink.”

Fitz wrinkled his nose at the reminder of the smell. “You do.”

“You’re not supposed to agree with me turbo, its called tact.”

“Call it like I see it.” Fitz echoed back the words Mack had used all those weeks ago when they had first worked together.

The room fell quiet, neither of them moving though Mack was shifting on his feet.

“You should-”

“You could-”

They both started at once but fell silent. Mack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’m too tired for this whole shuffle, can we just cut to the chase?”

Mack dropped his hand back to his side and caught Fitz’s eyes.

“I’m gonna take a shower, then I plan on sleeping for a long time. You should join me in both or either and this isn’t perfect first date material but…”

Fitz cut Mack off by dragging him down to kiss him.

“Shower?” Mack asked when Fitz let him go.

Fitz nodded. “You’re making me pancakes in the morning.”

Mack snorted in amusement. “The actual morning after this time?”

“Yes.”

They made it to Mack’s room in record time.


End file.
